Marcellus Jerome Clark

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Historical marker #562 in Simpson County notes the burial location of Marcellus Jerome Clarke--known to history as "Sue Mundy"--one of Kentucky's most infamous pro-Confederate guerrillas.

Born near Franklin, Clarke joined the Confederate army with his foster brother. Captured at Fort Donelson and imprisoned in Indiana, Clarke and his sibling escaped back to Kentucky. When his brother was captured, shot, and blinded, Clarke swore he would never take any Union soldiers prisoner.

Although he had served in the Confederate artillery and under John Hunt Morgan, Clarke, in 1864, joined a guerrilla band that scoured much of Kentucky. When rumors of a female guerrilla named Sue Mundy spread in the state, the sobriquet was attached to Clarke, who had long hair and a boyish appearance. The soft name did not fit the rebel, however, who robbed citizens, burned property, and even rode with the violent Missouri guerrilla William Quantrill when Quantrill's band raided the bluegrass.

Clarke was eventually captured. Accused of murders and other crimes, he was hanged in Louisville in front of thousands of spectators. He was buried in Simpson County.

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Marcellus Jerome Clark: One of Kentucky's most infamous pro-Confederate guerillas, Marcellus Jerome Clark became known to history as "Sue Mundy." In this image from the Filson Historical Society (Louisville), Clark wears a plumed hat and carries several revolvers. Late in the war, he was captured and hanged in Louisville. Courtesy of the Filson Historical Society.